ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani vehemently opposed India’s unilateral actions regarding the status of occupied Kashmir, dismissing the decision made by its supreme court as illegitimate.
Jilani’s statements followed the Indian Supreme Court’s endorsement of the Modi government’s 2019 annexation of the contested territory, upheld by a unanimous verdict from a panel of five judges. This decision encompassed petitions challenging the revocation and the division of the region into Jammu and Kashmir, along with the Buddhist territory of Ladakh.
Asserting that Jammu and Kashmir stand as a global conflict with existing UN resolutions, Jilani condemned India’s actions on August 5, 2019, deeming them illegal and in direct violation of UN mandates.
He highlighted the Kashmiri people’s rejection of these unilateral actions, emphasizing that the Indian Supreme Court’s decision couldn’t divert global attention from ongoing Indian brutality in Kashmir.
Labelling India’s actions as a breach of international law, the Foreign Minister accused India of attempting to perpetrate genocide against Kashmiris, threatening to reduce them to a minority in their homeland.
Jilani pledged to address the matter with all stakeholders, emphasizing Islamabad’s previous illumination of New Delhi’s independent actions. He underscored that international bodies like the United Nations, European Union, and OIC are cognizant of India’s unilateral moves in August 2019.
Reiterating the prolonged presence of the Kashmir issue on the UN’s docket, Jilani stressed the government’s insistence on adhering to all UN resolutions concerning the disputed region for resolution.
Looking ahead, Jilani indicated that Islamabad would explore various options following the Indian Supreme Court’s ruling, drawing parallels to what he deemed as a biased verdict in the Babri Masjid demolition case. He highlighted the ongoing sufferings of those residing in occupied Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370, citing severe human rights violations by Indian forces.
Moreover, he criticized India for denying permission to independent OIC observers to visit the disputed region, emphasizing the continued lack of access to impartial oversight.
